Could Wayne Selden's Return to Kansas Mean Same for Joel Embiid?

By Connor Muldowney

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While the Kansas Jayhawks have already been eliminated from the 2014 NCAA Tournament, the program’s chances to get back to the tourney and possibly make a serious Final Four run next year greatly improved on Tuesday afternoon. Wayne Selden Jr. announced, via Twitter, that he would be returning to Kansas for his sophomore season even after a stellar freshman season.

Selden, a freshman, averaged 9.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the Jayhawks and he was expected to make the leap to the NBA despite his raw skills. Many people saw him as a first-rounder, but he made the right choice by deciding to stick around another year.

What does this mean for head coach Bill Self and the rest of the Jayhawks? Well, Andrew Wiggins is as good as gone — even saying so before the season began. However, Joel Embiid could potentially come back and he has pondered that idea for a while now.

Cliff Alexander, a five-star forward/center recruit, is coming to campus for the 2014-15 season. The highly-touted incoming freshman is expected to be one of the best big men in the nation as a freshman next year and he even tweeted at Embiid, saying that they would dominate if he stays.

The idea of those two playing together is very, very scary. Embiid was a potential No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft before his back injury — now he is considered a top-five selection.

Could his slight drop in stock force him to come back along with Selden and play with Alexander as well? Kansas would be a certain favorite to make it to a Final Four if that does happen. Well, they were one of the favorites this year, too, and that didn’t turn out well.

Selden’s return definitely helps the chances of Embiid returning. The next few weeks should be interesting. Players have until April 27th to declare for this year’s draft.

Connor Muldowney is the Content Associate for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at connor.muldowney@rantsports.com.